Karizma: Reborn

Chapter 6: Lukas

Lukas rested his forehead against the porcelain wall of his shower as droplets of lava penetrated his skin. His hands were planted firmly on the wall beside his face, his shoulders and back exposed to the torture of pain that the water unleashed upon his body. His body ached and his joints groaned in protest with each attempt of movement. Fighting his wolf from emerging and dominating Ryleigh right then and there on top of the bear riddled his body with blinding pain. His wolf had clawed at his skin, and it started tear at his wolf's persistence; his bones had begun breaking from his human ones to form his wolf's body, yet Lukas had succeeded in forcing the reversion back to his human form. Dominating Ryleigh and branding her with his cum repeatedly was the only thought that possessed both him and his wolf the second that her wolf emerged, but he refused to act on those thoughts. She is nowhere near ready for that, Lukas scolded himself. He had no idea when or how to tell her that she was his mate.

Lukas rolled his shoulders as his wolf attempted to argue with his denial of his mate. Lycans grew up being told of mates and destiny; she was not. Ryleigh came from a world with an expiration date, but she was fortunate enough to find someone who could love her and accept her for who she was. Not just someone that the universe decided to pair with her, Lukas thought. The universe is a cruel bitch, he thought. Ryleigh was going to be pulled from Kristopher, sooner or later. Either Lukas would succumb to his wolf and claim his mate, or Ryleigh's wolf would begin to feel the pull and would be unable to deny her instincts. He sighed and closed his eyes. The knowledge that weighed on him the most was her death; had Ryleigh not died, she would not have been turned into a Lycan, and she would have never been his mate. I would have gone my entire life without my mate, Lukas thought. I wonder if that would have been better.

The painful pulse of Lukas' erection attempted to brainwash him into running after his mate and relieving himself deep inside of her. He ground his teeth and curled his hands into fists against the porcelain wall. How easy it would be to rub it out, to pour the pain down the drain of his shower, but he knew it would not truly accomplish anything. The physical pain would be gone, but the emotional pain that him and his wolf felt would remain. And the physical pain is better than that shit, he thought bitterly. He would fight against his wolf for as long as possible, for eternity if he had to. Ryleigh deserves better than me and the duties of the Alpha's Luna, Lukas thought. She needs to experience her rebirth and her joy with Kristopher for as long as possible, before it all comes crashing down.

Lukas turned and rested his back against the wall. The lava shower droplets began to penetrate the swollen erection between his legs. He ground his teeth at the pain that he was forcing on his cock, but he knew that the pain would make it subside. If I can't relieve it naturally, I need to relieve it this way. I cannot talk to Ryleigh ready to burst at the mere sight of her, he thought. He needed to put aside his feelings and his wolf's desires and become Alpha again. He needed to know more about this war, about this witch that the Master Vampire apparently had in his back pocket that had been hidden for centuries. Kristopher's details had been rather brief on the war, but, with Ryleigh's death and resurrection, Lukas understood.

With his erection no longer posing a threat to himself or to his mind, Lukas quickly shut off the shower and exited the shower. He quickly pulled on a pair of black basketball shorts and ran a hand through his hair. He gazed at himself in the mirror and exhaled. His gold eyes finally relinquished control and allowed his blue eyes domination, their brightness illuminated against his tan skin. If I can't be with Ryleigh right now, I can be with the next best thing, he thought bitterly. He exited the bathroom and walked out of his house.

Lukas entered Jackson's house and walked into Jackson's bedroom. Bailey was still deeply unconscious in Jackson's bed, her hair splayed out beneath her. Lukas sighed and knelt beside her. He gently pulled her hand into his and stroked his thumb against her skin. He felt her heartbeat pulse through her hand, her body paralyzed. Lukas constantly felt his mate's fear and worry for Bailey and resisted the urge of biting the witch before him; whatever was ailing her, the lycanthropy would heal. Bailey would be awake in the world again, and his mate would be happy. But it would be without either of their consent, Lukas thought, and I cannot do that. Lukas sighed and gently replaced Bailey's hand on the bed beside her body. He raked his hand through his hair roughly and stood up.